Quick links

Chelsea should challenge Dortmund for this Brazilian wonderkid

The German side are reportedly looking to sign Bernard as a replacement for Mario Gotze, but Chelsea should renew their interest in the Brazilian before it is too late.

When the news broke that Mario Gotze had agreed a move to Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich, it did not take long for speculation to move on to how Jurgen Klopp would look to replace the midfielder in his side.

Chelsea have already been involved in this, with Kevin De Bruyne reportedly one of Dortmund’s primary targets after an impressive season on loan at Werder Bremen.

Chelsea are apparently against the idea of selling De Bruyne, with their preference being that he moves to Bayer Leverkusen as part of their deal to sign Andre Schurrle.

However, if De Bruyne is keen on a move to the Champions League finalists, Chelsea could perhaps use the Belgian to switch Dortmund’s attention away from 20 year old Brazilian Bernard, who the Blues have been linked with in the past.

The Atletico Miniero playmaker has had a fine season in Brazil, and is key to his side’s chances in the Copa Libertadores, meaning any move would likely have to wait until August

Dortmund have reportedly made a €12million bid for the player, although Atletico Miniero might hold out for nearer €20million.

Although the Bundesliga has become perhaps the dominant force in Europe this season, Chelsea could have a considerable advantage in a battle for Bernard, with the Blues having several Brazilian stars on their books already.

Oscar made the switch from Brazil last summer, and has had a fine first season, and Bernard might consider the fact that he might play under a Brazilian captain at Stamford Bridge in the not too distant future, with David Luiz tipped as a replacement for John Terry when the English player leaves.

With managerial changes at Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and quite possibly Manchester City and Real Madrid this summer, several of the biggest clubs in Europe will be making big moves in the transfer market. Bernard does not live up to the biggest names being linked with transfers, but he has the talent to be an incredible player, and Chelsea should consider rivaling Dortmund for his signature now, rather than watch him become a superstar in Germany.

Nick Harris

I'm Nick Harris, Spurs fan and sports writer. Alongside HITC, I'm the founder, editor, writer, and fan of footballspirals.com and can be found on Twitter - @nicksharris. When I'm not watching sport I'm usually drinking coffee and checking updates on my phone in an antisocial manner.